Can't Feel Nothing At All
by shadowdreamslayer
Summary: Shilo x Graverobber. Post Movie. Shilo uses her new freedom to become part of the city ruled by blood, drugs, money & sex. Should Graverobber save Shilo from herself or take advantage of her weakness? Rated M for adult content
1. Zydrate Comes In A Little Glass Vial

Authors Note: First fic. Mature content anticipated. I'm slow, but have committed myself to finishing this project. Please note this chapter has been revised from it's original.

Disclaimer: I own nothing nor profit from this story. This is just for fun.

Please review and thanks so much for reading!

* * *

Tears streamed down Shilo's face as she cradled her dead father in her arms. She wasn't sure however, if those were tears of sadness for the loss of a loved one, or tears of happiness for finally attaining freedom. As she lay her father down in the pool of his blood, she wondered if it was possible to hate and love at the same time?

That night Shilo swore to herself that she would leave the forsaken city and its hallowing memories behind. She didn't get very far.

-----------

Crouched in the squalor of a dark, back alleyway, Shilo watched from her hiding place as a couple of GenCops chased a figure into a nearby graveyard. The stench of rotting garbage and waste filled her nostrils, and she shivered from the late evening chill. Vermin scurried amongst the dumpsters, completely ignoring the girl hidden amongst the shadows. She had learned quickly in her first week on the street, compliments of the Largo family, that it was best to avoid confrontation with anybody who lurked around at night.

Not long after Shilo publicly rejected the inheritance of GeneCo, Rottis daughter, Amber Sweet, had quickly taken over the company. Blaming Shilo for the ruin of the Opera and Blind Mag's death, Amber had filed a substantial lawsuit against Shilo, claiming for lost profits and incurred expenses as a result. Judge Zdunich, fresh out of a surgery for a new heart, compliments of GeneCo, had ruled against Shilo, legally demanding that all GeneCo's losses be paid in full. With the only other option being to rot in a Crucifix jail, she sold her parents home and belongings to pay the lawsuit, leaving her with northing.

And so it had come to this. Running and hiding in alleyways from just about everyone in the damned city: GenCops, thugs, desperate Zydrate addicts, and the collectors for the underground organ market. No one could be trusted in this city, and everyone was only out to protect and profit for themselves. Sometimes Shilo let herself wonder if her homely prison with her father had really been so terrible.

No longer protected and isolated, she had at first rushed through this new world with a fierce curiosity. She had expected to marvel at how people loved, and lived, but instead came to find herself disgusted with the drug addicts, perverts, and murderers that she frequently crossed paths with. Life on the streets was hard, and it wasn't long before that innocent looking seventeen year old once plastered across the newspapers had disappeared.

In just one year, that girl was gone. No father, no rules, no home, no fake medications. _No regrets._ Her natural black hair, now growing back, hung straight to ears in a choppy bob, contrasting with her pale skin. White girlish tunics were a thing of the past; white attracted too much attention and dirt. Instead she wore a snug black dress that cropped halfway down her thigh, and some thigh high fishnet stockings shoplifted from a used clothing store. Topped off with a pair of black knee high boots, she easily blended into the darkness and promiscuity of the city.

After the novelty of freedom wore off, loneliness and depression set in. Sleeping in the grimy streets, scrounging in dumpsters for food, and washing up in derelict bathroom sinks were not the iconic ideas she had for her newfound freedom. Every time she stepped over a mutilated body, compliments of a Repo Man or some other sicko, she thought back to her father. The bastard had lied to her, deceived her, and she hated him for it. So why did grief and love still linger in her heart?

With such thoughts on her mind as she stumbled across a decaying body one night, Shilo wondered when she really could escape the grasp her father still held over her. Gagging at the scent of the maggot infested, decomposing flesh she noticed the torn apart ribcage and the missing lungs. _Ahh, this must be the Repo Man's handiwork. Father would be proud. _Shilo laughed morbidly to herself as she ignored the stench and proceeded to rummage through the jacket of the corpse. Pocketing a few coins and matches she reached the final pocket and discovered a little glass vial.

"_Zydrate comes in a little glass vial."_

"_A little glass vial?"_

"_A little glass vial."_

Upon seeing a familiar blue glow, Shilo realized this was a vial of Zydrate like the ones the Graverobber had shown her. Pulling a gun from the same pocket of the corpse, she slid the vial into the gun like a battery. Click. Shilo felt her heart pound against her chest as she admired the eerie, blue glow illustrating her surroundings. She could almost hear the vial whispering to her… _try me._ The words of a drugged Amber Sweet rang through her mind, _I can't feel nothing at all. _Perhaps Zydrate was the solution to ridding herself of the burdens she felt; love, hate, guilt, shame. Shilo placed the gun against her throat and pulled the trigger.


	2. Something Real To Cling To

Part of this story comes from the cut song, "Needle Through a Bug," which can be found on the Repo CD. Grave Robbers,_"You're beautiful," m_akes me all warm inside

Thanks so much to Raine for being my beta.

Disclaimer: I own nothing nor profit from this story. This is just for fun.

Please read and review and thanks so much for reading!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shilo thought back to the first day she had been introduced to that mind-altering wonder. Observing from the sidelines, she had naively listened and watched as Grave Robber explained the process of administering Zydrate, all while demonstrating on Amber Sweet. Back then Shilo had been horrified that a drug had such an addicted following, and even more so that the addicts would do anything just to get a hit. After her first hit, stolen from a bloodied corpse, she had discovered a new world where no pains of the past could reach her. Now she sat, her back hunched against the crumbling wall in the dark alleyway, contemplating where to get _her_ next fix of Z.

-----------

Grave Robber glanced up at the night sky, admiring the full moon and its pearly glow. _Perfect night to rob graves. _All senses alert, he cautiously peered around the graveyard for signs of movement or GeneCops. _Empty again? Almost takes the excitement out of the job when there's no risk of death. _Security in the graveyards and morgues had finally loosened up now that Amber was in charge of GeneCo. Cutting company budgets left and right, Miss Sweet had quietly reduced the number of GeneCops in order to pay for her personal supply of Zydrate and surgeons. Strolling through the musty smelling cemetery to stock up on supplies had never been easier for a Z dealing grave robber.

Grave Robber would have sent her a free vial of street Zydrate and a thank you note for such a gift, but he couldn't forgive her for the time her henchmen tied him up so she could steal his Z vials. Although this unfortunate event had occurred well over a year ago, he wouldn't forgive her for cleaning him out; the bitch took his whole drug supply. _Stupid whore._ If that Wallace girl hadn't stumbled upon him hanging pathetically upside down by his ankles, he might still be there today.

He often wondered what happened to that girl, so innocent and sheltered. Chuckling to himself, Grave Robber recalled how he had thought Shilo was looking to score some Zydrate, when all she really wanted was the cure for her disease

"_Um, do you have my cure?" Shilo called out in the darkness._

"_Your cure? Is that what this is about? Sorry, that fucking Amber cleaned me out. But maybe later, I'll hook you up later. Just help me down!_

"_The drug…?" she whispered nervously._

"_Yeah, the drug."_

He should have known better than to think a girl like that would yearn for a hit of glow from the bodies of the dead. Guiltily he realized how receptive he had been to selling her Z, and furthermore, hadn't he proceeded to call her beautiful? _How the hell had that slipped out?_ Not that it mattered now, that girl was probably dead to the world. _Shame. She really was beautiful, even if she was jailbait_. Anyways, if she was alive, he'd never see her again because the only reason people sought him out was to get a hit, and drugs were the last thing innocent, little Shilo Wallace would ever be looking for.

-------------

Her world was no longer a grotesque conglomeration of lies, pain, and failure. Falling to her knees, Shilo gently caressed her left wrist as she felt the Zydrate leave the gun and spark through her body. As the tingling energy licked at her fingertips, her body shuddered involuntarily as the muscles relaxed. _I want to float like this forever. _Senses she'd forgotten since her last hit sprang forward, causing her to reach out at the beautiful lights that danced around. Despite this drug induced arousal of her senses, her inner core numbed, shading memories of her past in a blue haze.

People were often frightened at feeling a loss of emotions, an absent sense of time, and inhibited physical awareness, but Shilo prized this experience. _I'm completely and utterly addicted._ But she didn't care. Living in a perfect and beautiful world, even if only temporarily, was not a luxury she would deny herself. _It's quick, it's clean, and it's pure. _

Stretching her limbs like a graceful feline, Shilo lowered her back to the ground in surrender to the overwhelming dizziness that threatened her balance. Lavishing the exotic feeling of the harsh concrete against her skin, she fantasized about feeling free forever. Electricity coursed though her body as she stared dreamily at the night sky filled with stars. The twinkling lights united together, painting a glittering story of images across the blackness. Overwhelmed, she closed her eyes and shivered, though whether from the cold or the drug she didn't know.

"Same time tomorrow, darlin?" came a harsh mans voice, as a tall, tattooed figure emerged from the darkness.

"Sure Nivek, sure," Shilo whispered, her eyes still closed, but frowning slightly at the interruption.

"You better have the cash tomorrow. I can't keep doing this I.O.U thing, babe." Kneeling beside her writhing body, the Zydrate peddler known as Nivek clumsily grabbed her wrist and squeezed tightly. Fiercely yanking her body sharply towards him, he bent towards her neck and bit her flesh playfully. " If you can't come up with the money, you know I would be more than happy to accept a different payment, babe."

Emerging slightly from her realm of perpetual light, Shilo opened her eyes, surprised to see the man so close. "You know I'm good for it, Niv. Tomorrow, or you get to have me. How bout' one for the road?"

"I never get to have you," the man muttered, adjusting his pants as he pressed the gun to her neck and pulled the trigger. "Tomorrow," he murmured, slinking into the shadows.

Alone again, Shilo entered her artificial dream once more. Allowing the mind-altering drug to take over completely, she succumbed to the potent effects and closed her eyes.

---------


	3. The Nightmare That She Should Fear

I added my favorite line from Boondock Saints, see if you can spot it!

Thanks to my beta, Raine!

Disclaimer: I own nothing nor profit from this story. This is just for fun.

Please read and review and thanks so much for reading!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Daylight spilled into the narrow, grungy alley, highlighting the body that lay between a large dumpster and an empty vial of zydrate. A groan was all Shilo could muster as she felt the telltale aches of spending the night on concrete, spread through her body. Stumbling slightly, she placed a hand against the crumbling wall in an attempt to steady her spinning head. "_What the hell was I thinking last night_," she thought, running the evening events through her head._ Same thing I think every night I guess._

Zydrate had become a nightly occurrence for her now, partly because of its guarantee for nightmare free slumber. Every evening Shilo hunted for a dealer, dreading the headaches and body chills that would occur if she failed to get her hit. Acquiring and enjoying the Z was the easy part; paying was the challenge. Nivek, one of the only drug peddlers that accepted IOU's, had become Shilo's dealer when she couldn't always afford her addiction.

Working on and off at various restaurants and bars, Shilo's average job lasted less than a week before she was fired. She had last worked as a server at a shady strip joint in one of the most crooked parts of the city. As she waited on scumbags and perverts, a bizarre looking man with spiked, red hair had offered her a hit of glow as a tip. The phrase "don't accept candy from strangers" had briefly run through her head before she let him press his gun against her neck. The rest of that night had been a blur; obviously the vial had been laced with a drug other than Zydrate. Vomiting violently and finally collapsing in the women's bathroom, Shilo had been tossed out by the strip club's bodyguards and told never to come back.

Most establishments, even the shifty and illegal ones, didn't appreciate their employees staggering around in a drug-induced haze. As a result, Shilo had no job, no cash, no personal items of any value, and a negative balance with a well-known, violent drug dealer.

Even if she couldn't afford Zydrate, quitting the rush of the glow was not an option. There were always ways to pay. Thinking back to previous nights of desperation, Shilo recalled the nights she had used her body to pay. Shame and regret flushed her cheeks as she remembered lying under various fumbling male bodies, trying to ignore their touch and focus on the high of the Z. Since meeting Nivek, she had abandoned this method of pay, and been able to come up with cash on time for his IOU collections. A promise of sex was the collateral, and Shilo now worried that she wouldn't be able to come up with the cash she owed Nivek for her latest expenditure of glow.

A dangerous dealer to work with, Nivek commanded a high level of respect from both the Zydrate addicts and merchants. The only reason he allowed IOU's was because of the respect and fear on the street of his violent and often deadly attacks on those indebted to him. Nivek coveted sex or sexual acts for payment from the ladies, but few women made such promises because of the state he left them in. Rumor on the street was that he liked to beat the women before intercourse, leaving them a bruised and bloody wreck. Racking her brain for ways to make some quick cash, she shuddered in fear at the thought of Nivek's rough hands on her body. _I should never have promised such a stupid thing to a person like him. _There was no way he'd allow her more time. Today was collection day and Shilo was completely broke.

--------------------

Creeping amongst the headstones of one of the cities many graveyards, Shilo made a beeline to the mausoleum that housed her parent's bodies. Although she had a profound hatred for her father because of his betrayal, she couldn't help but hold a deep routed love for both her parents. Often coming to the mausoleum for a dry place to sleep or hide, Shilo felt a strange comfort in this dark and musty eternal resting place.

For the last few hours, Shilo had tried to earn some quick cash but to no avail, thus she had had returned to the graveyard to hide from her debt. She rubbed several of the bruises on her wrists from her last meeting with Nivek, her hand pausing at the many track marks that covered her arms. The story of her addiction covered her body with tiny telltale scabs, the signature of a Zydrate gun. Not only was her body tainted, but her very core was corrupted; the naïve Shilo she once was had died along with her father

Crouched now in a cobwebbed corner, she rested her chin on her knees and quietly hummed an old Blind Mag song. _I'm glad my parents and Mag aren't alive to see me…to see what I've become. _Pain cut through her heart every time she remembered her homely prison, her phony illness, and the countless lies the years had shared. However, it seemed the more hideous and vile discoveries she made about the world, the more she came to respect the decisions her father had made. His "innocent, little Shilo" was a lowly drug addict. A manipulative whore. A fucking monster.

------------------

A sudden and deafening crash sounded in the mausoleum as the door slammed open against the old, stone building. Jolting awake from her brief rest, Shilo glanced frantically around the room for the source of the noise. Nivek stood menacingly in the doorway, his arms folded against his chest and a grim look on his face.

"What happened, babe? You didn't show up and I was just so worried about you," Nivek mocked, a malevolent grin across his face.

A feeling of dread hit Shilo's stomach like a lead weight. Stuttering nervously, she pleaded hopelessly with Nivek, "I….I….I….need more t…t…time."

Bounding male laughter echoed around the small, dark room. "Are you telling me, darlin, that you ain't got my money?"

Shilo gulped and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Nivek made quick time of the space between them, and before Shilo knew it she was yanked up and thrown against the cold, stone wall. "Lucky you, babe. You get to enjoy the sexual wonder that is Nivek. You did promise, you know," he taunted.

"I'll p…p…pay you back eventually I promise. Please N…N…Niv, I don't want this."

Nivek smirked, his body shivering slightly in anticipation as he pressed himself against her form. "You not wanting this will make it all the more fun for me," he whispered spitefully, nipping at her neck.

Struggling against his forceful advances, Shilo swiftly brought her knee up to his groin. Nivek roared at this sneak attack, and cradling his crotch in the left hand, he cocked his right fist back and swung fiercely. The world around her quaked as Shilo felt Nivek's fist connect with her left cheekbone, sending her sprawling across the floor.

"You fucking slut. Shit, you could have made it easy for yourself, bitch, but nooooo." The fuming Zydrate dealer wrapped his large hands around Shilo's neck, throwing her roughly against the wall once more. Groping clumsily at her breast, he proceeded to rip her short black dress down the front, exposing her lacy bra and panties. He let her body feebly slump to the ground as he fumbled with the zipper on his pants.

A voice rang out suddenly from the doorway of the mausoleum. "What the hell….Kid?"

Startled, Nivek spun around angrily, his pants falling to his ankles. "Piss off, buddy. I'm busy here."

Shilo opened her eyes slightly at the sound of the familiar voice, her heart bounding when she saw the figure of Graverobber emerge from the shadows. For a brief moment she caught a glimpse of shock and concern in his eyes as he recognized her face and noted her ragged state. Hope fluttered in her chest as she stared pleadingly at her savior, her knight in shining armor, her….

"Give the bitch to me, Nivek," Graverobber growled. "She owes me way more than she could ever owe you."

Nivek studied the figure carefully, confirming to himself that this was indeed his fellow Zydrate merchant, Graverobber. "Oh, it's you," he drawled, obviously irritated. "Look, I'm just collecting on my debt. Now make like a tree and get the fuck outta here."

Graverobber threw a wad of cash at Nivek's feet, and leaned back casually against the doorway. "That should be more than enough to cover whatever this little whore owes you. Besides, I want her tonight. If you have her first, you know she won't be any good for anyone else. No one roughs up the ladies as well as you do."

Considering the pile of money for a short moment, Nivek snatched at the cash as he tugged his pants back up. "Damn it all, Graverobber. Hope she's worth it," he sneered, counting the notes greedily. Pausing to deliver a swift kick to Shilo's back, he skulked out of the mausoleum and into the darkness, muttering curses to himself as he went.

Graverobber watched unflinchingly as Nivek's delivered his "farewell." Waiting until Nivek's figure disappeared; Graverobber approached the girl's lifeless form sprawled out in front of him. "Holy shit, Kid. What the fuck have you got yourself into?" Picking up Shilo's limp and battered body carefully in his arms, Graverobber stalked out into the moonlit night.


	4. It's The 21st Century Cure

So sorry for the wait...lots of personal issues. I should be back on track now and updating more often. Thanks for sticking with me! I'm not sure what happened to my beta...so this is self-edited and may possibly be updated in the future.

Disclaimer: I own nothing nor profit from this story. This is just for fun.

Please read and review! Thanks!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flaking red paint and obscene graffiti covered the derelict warehouse that stood before the Zydrate peddler and the unconscious body hanging limp in his arms. "Home sweet home," Graverobber whispered. Kicking open a large, rusted door, he glanced over his shoulder one more time before sneaking into a dark hallway. Light flickered through the smashed windows as he made his way up a set of stairs to a dimly lit room.

The moderately sized room that was now his home had obviously been an office for the building at one point. Untidy and cluttered were the only words that could describe it now. Various articles of clothing were strewn about, as well as empty Zydrate vials and food wrappers. A desk covered with junk was pushed against the wall next to a built-in bookshelf that housed a variety of empty liquor bottles. Stepping over the mess, Graverobber gently laid Shilo on a tattered couch and swept her raven hair out of her face.

He sat crossed legged on the floor in front of the couch, watching the girl intently.

"Didn't mean to call you a bitch and a whore, Kid. Gotta keep my street cred and all…can't have the other dealers thinking I've gone soft," he whispered to her unconscious body. "Which I haven't," he added, more to reassure himself than her.

A large bruise decorated her left cheek, and her swollen skin was starting to form a black eye. Her skin was pale with dark shadows under the eyes and small scabs marring her almost perfect skin. _How the hell did she turn into a junkie? _As soon as he'd seen Shilo with Nivek, Graverobber had known exactly what the girl had been up to in the last year.

The bright eyed and fresh-faced girl was gone, and the "kid" had grown into a young woman….and an addict. Graverobber allowed his eyes to rake over the girl's body greedily, stopping at the modest cleavage and thighs not covered by her ruined dress. _Hey, I am only a man after all._ Turning away, he took a deep breath and placed his hands fondly on the vials of Zydrate at his side. If he really wanted, she could be all his with a single hit of his glow. It would be as easy as getting a new heart. The junkies who usually threw themselves at him were amusing every once in a while, but there was something intriguing, something special about this girl. That was, if there was anything left of the girl that the drugs hadn't stolen.

Graverobber watched as Shilo's breaths came rapidly, and a line of sweat crossed her forehead. Her face was flushed, and her hands trembled despite her unconsciousness. Zydrate withdrawal; he'd seen it a million times before. The first thing she would beg for when she awoke was for a hit. Groaning, Graverobber put his head in his hands as an internal battle of morals and self-preservation battled inside. If he gave her the Z and became her new supplier, the financial and physical benefits looked, well, delicious. Supplying _was _his job after all!

However, a tiny part of him refused to contribute to the girls demise. After all, he'd saved her a couple of times before from various harrowing situations…why waste that effort?

He could embrace and enhance her corruption, or play the hero and help her break out of the downward spiral. _Since when do I even consider playing the good guy? Ugh, I need a strong, hard drink. _And with that last thought and one more glance at the girl, he quietly left, locking the door behind him, and headed to the closest bar. After all, alcohol was always the answer to a tough problem.

-----------------------------

Shilo's eyelids fluttered open as the pounding in her head worsened. Shivering slightly, she sat up and realized that she was covered in sweat. A worn-out blanket lay nearby, and she wrapped herself up tightly while assessing the unfamiliar surroundings.

She closed her eyes, trying to remember if she had stumbled up here in some sort of drug induced haze. Graverobber's face flashed in her mind, and she gasped as she remembered the run in with Nivek. Examining her torn and ruined dress, she groaned as she touched her bruised face and examined her black and blue ribs. _I hope nothings broken._ _Graverobber must have saved me._

The first thing she noticed was the Z paraphernalia and male clothing scattered around the room. Glancing down at her exposed bra, she quickly undressed and searched the room for something to wear. After several pairs of pants falling from her hips, she finally settled on just throwing on a large, black t-shirt that hung down just past her butt cheeks.

Her body twitched and her heart fluttered as she stepped over an empty Zydrate gun. _That means there's got to be glow in here somewhere. He is a dealer after all._ Her last hit had been almost two days ago, and she desperately needed her fix. Frantically scanning the room, she began to search amongst the jumble for a full vial. Junk was thrown left and right in an impulsive manner; a basket of clothing was dumped unceremoniously onto the floor.

Clattering and banging sounded throughout the small room and into the attaching bathroom. Shilo's breaths were ragged now as she went about in a frenzied state searching for a telltale, blue glow. Clutching her head, she moaned as tiny shocks ran through her body. She'd felt these before, and the only remedy was that damned 21st century cure.

In attempt to calm her nerves, she took a deep breath and thought about where she could possibly get her hands on the drug. She had no money or belongings, and she had promised herself that her body was no longer a form of pay. Tears wet her cheeks as she checked under the cushions from the couch in a last failed attempt to find a full vial. Slumping to the ground she felt her body tighten in desperation, her blood pounding against her veins as they cried out for their cure.

-------------------

Shilo startled as a noise came from behind and a shadowed figure stumbled through the door. A lamp from the corner shed a dim light across the stranger, and the stench of alcohol and cigarettes hit her as the figure tottered forward. She quickly wiped the tears from her face and sighed in relief as the light revealed Graverobber's face.

"Thank you…for saving me from Nivek," Shilo blurted, glancing guiltily at the chaos she had made in the room.

"No problem, my dear," he replied as he bent forward into a mock bow. Falling forward, he grabbed at the wall for support before straightening himself up and stumbling to the couch.

Shilo watched as he lay on the couch, his feet resting casually on the armrest. His jacket fell aside, revealing a familiar, blue glow. "Are you drunk?" she inquired curiously, debating how she could use this situation to her advantage.

"Not drunk. Most definitely not drunk," Graverobber slurred. "Merely in a state of temporary, liquor induced pleasure." He seemed too inebriated to notice that the room looked like it had been hit by a tornado.

Shilo's high anxiety was obvious as she bounced from foot to foot. "Hey, I appreciate your help and everything, but I was wondering if you could do me one more favor."

"Anything for you, beautiful." He closed his eyes as he tried to settle comfortably on the couch.

"I wondered if I could get some Zydrate from you. I'll pay you back of course." She bit her nails anxiously as she waited for an answer.

A snore from the drunk, now obviously sleeping man was her only response. "That's as good as a yes to me," she declared and sprung forward to unclip a vial from Graverobber's belt.

Injecting the blue into her bloodstream with a gun, she let her head loll backwards as the thrilling rush of pure bliss coarsed threw her body.


	5. Everybody, Everybody Testify!

Authors Note: Sorry. That's all I'll say. Thanks to my weak, unpredictable, and still developing muse, here is another chapter. Not sure whether the next one will be up tomorrow, or 6 months from now, but I do not plan to abandon this story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing nor profit from this story. This is just for fun.

Please read and review. It inspires me to write more! Thanks so much for reading!

------------------------------------------------------------

Groaning from his uncomfortable position on the couch, Graverobber stretched out his arms and legs like a grubby, overgrown cat. _My aching head, ugh. I am never drinking again….well at least not until tonight. _He swung his feet, still in clunky boots, over the side of the couch, and let out a yell of shock as he narrowly avoided standing on a body sprawled across the floor. As all the events of the previous night ran through his head, he let his eyes wander first to the sleeping girl, and then to his ransacked room.

"What the hell…?" he began, before spotting one of his Zydrate guns loaded with an empty vial. His hand fell to the brown, leather belt that held loaded vials, and his blood began to boil at feeling the empty clip. So this was how the chit was repaying him for his heroic work - by stealing! Why that little…

"Hey. Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," he barked, his voice calm despite his anger. He shook her shoulders roughly, pulling her up into a sitting position. Shilo emitted a groan that imitated his, and her eyes fluttered open to stare at the contorting face of Graverobber.

Despite the foreign look of her grown, battered, and drug influenced body, he hadn't been prepared for what he'd seen when Shilo opened her eyes. Dark, chocolaty, brown orbs, full of innocence and sadness, stared back, just like they had that first day he'd seen her. That day when he had introduced her to the real world outside of her homely cell, where desecrating the dead was a part of his everyday life. The look in her eyes had not been one of horror, but rather a reluctant curiosity. Perhaps her curiosity combined with his exposure of her to this nightmarish world had created this monster before him.

"Shilo," he began, blinking rapidly in hopes of bringing back the desperate junkie from the night before. Junkies he could deal with, but a young woman lost in her grief and addiction was way out of his league.

Notions of yelling at her flew out the window along with his anger, and he offered her his hand, helping her climb unsteadily to her feet. Her hand felt small and soft in his rough bear paw, and he unconsciously let his hand stay clasped around hers until she gently tugged away. "So, errr, how are you feeling?" he asked awkwardly.

She ignored his question, hanging her head to shield her eyes from his probing gaze. "I am so sorry, Graverobber. Look, I'll make it up to you, I'll pay you back. That was my last time, I swear. I …." Her words flew out in a frantic, rapid stream of worry.

Graverobber lifted her chin up so that her eyes met his. "How long," he interrupted; intrigued by the way her face was flushing red. This was obviously a topic she wanted to avoid.

"Uh, soon after Dad died. I don't know how it happened really, I just needed something to distract me. I'd lost everything." Her voice quivered, and she gulped as Graverobber removed his hand from her chin, dropping down to the couch and pulling her down next to him.

"Look Kid, you think you've lost everything now, but you keep going down this path, and you'll end up dead. I've seen it happen a million times before."

The change was immediate. The frightened and sorry looking girl in his over sized t-shirt suddenly stood straight and strong, her irritation obvious on her face. Now it was her turn to interrupt him. "That's sound advice coming from a dealer. How do you know it won't be _your_ Zydrate that finally kills me?"

His mouth opened and closed a couple of times, like a stunned fish. He needed a minute to think about a comeback for a low blow like that. She was right though, he of all people shouldn't be warning people of the dangers of drugs. Not to mention, it was bad for business.

"It's a dog eat, dog world out there, Kid. And after all, nothing is certain but death and taxes." There, throwing in a couple of vague proverbs was much easier than actually answering the question. "Besides, you won't be getting any of _my_ Zydrate. I refuse to supply family, friends, lovers, and close acquaintances," he counted off on his fingers, sticking his chin out, and then folded his arms defiantly across his chest.

At this, she raised her eyebrow questioningly. So, she fell under one of those categories, huh? Secretly, she hoped it was friend, but suspected it was most likely only close acquaintance. He had been the closest thing she'd ever had to a real friend, someone who had taken her by the hand, helped her, and shared the world with her, even if it had only been on a handful of occasions.

Thinking back to the night he'd rescued her from the festival, she remembered the ride home on the back of the garbage truck. They'd talked and laughed, he'd shared stories about the numerous times he'd escaped the GenCops, and she'd listened in awe and wonder. Then he had blown her a kiss goodnight, causing her to blush so brightly that she'd scrambled inside immediately. She'd had no idea there was more to life, until she'd met him.

Leaving her daydreams behind, she observed the man before her, his stance reeking of stubbornness. It seemed he really was bent on not supplying her with Z. Damn. "Well, I better get going then," she shrugged, her voice riddled with disappointment and frustration. Getting to her feet, she made her way to the door, offering a small wave over her shoulder. "Thanks again for rescuing me. I'm sure it won't be the last time."

"You've got that right, Kid" Graverobber retorted, making quick time of the space between them and grabbing her forcefully by the wrists. He stared once more into Shilo's eyes, those chocolate orbs that betrayed her emotions. He saw fear, anger, and a slight twitch that could only belong to a Zydrate junkie.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? And stop calling me Kid!" Shilo screeched, caught of guard by his sudden nearness. Her instinct should have told her to fight and run, but instead it urged her to trust him.

"You aren't going anywhere. I'm going to rescue you again, right now." Graverobber held her wrists tighter as she tried to squirm out of his grip. He pulled her, ignoring her outraged protests, and plunked her down once again on the couch. She made to stand, but he pushed her down roughly with an ordered, "Sit."

She glared angrily, but stayed in place, her lips pursed and her teeth gritted. "What are you going to rescue me from, huh? You?" she spat furiously.

Graverobber took a deep breath, ignoring the little voice that told him to let her leave. "No, Shilo. I'm going to rescue you from yourself."


	6. Say You Aren't that Person

Authors Note: Since I'm such a terribly slow updater, I'm going to include a little recap at the beginning of every few chapters which I will go back and delete once more chapters are added and/or the story is finished. That way, if you've already forgotten the story, you can just go back a chapter and read a short summary of the "story so far" to refresh your memory. Also, a currency note, I'm going with $ but factoring in inflation so that today's $25 would be about $50 in the future. Also, you will note that my chapters have some of Shilos view, and some of Graverobbers view. I feel both are necessary, but let me know if it gets confusing.

_The Story So Far_

_Shilo, homeless because of the Largos, turned to Zydrate to help herself deal with her predicament and mixed feelings of love and hate towards her dead father. A violent drug dealer hunts her down to make her pay for the money she owes him for Zydrate, but Graverobber comes to her rescue and brings her to his home in an abandoned building. Graverobber has an internal struggle whether to help Shilo or become her new dealer, but decides to help her after she steals Zydrate from him._

_Graverobber took a deep breath, ignoring the little voice that told him to let her leave. "No, Shilo. I'm going to rescue you from yourself."_

* * *

Graverobber watched the contorting emotions on Shilo's face. Anger, fear, confusion. Well, he could understand why she was confused. Here she was in a downward spiral of self-loathing and drug addiction, and a drug dealer was going to be the one to help her? The whole idea was laughable. If the circumstances hadn't been so serious, he probably would have laughed out loud at the sheer irony of the situation.

"Why are you helping me?" Shilo dared whisper, tears shining in her eyes.

"I've been asking myself that since the moment I met you Shilo," Graverobber responded, kneeling down in front of her to wipe away the single shining tear on her cheek. Her eyes grew wide and unsure at his gesture, and her breathing quickened. "Look, you really need help with this Zydrate thing because it can get out of control fast. Besides, I've always thought there was something special about you. And right now, that special thing is that you owe me about five hundred bucks. " He watched in mild amusement as her expression morphed from that of shyness to utter shock.

"W...w…what?" she stuttered, "That's completely taking advantage of me! That vial I borrowed was worth thirty at the very most!" Her voice and her face betrayed her sudden panic.

"Excuse me, my vials are top quality product and retail from forty to fifty dollars, thank you very much." He huffed in mock annoyance, standing up and straightening out his brown, leather coat. He certainly wasn't pulling in high profile clients with low grade Zydrate. "You, know, I'd almost forgotten about that vial you 'borrowed,' so lets make it five hundred and fifty then. The five hundred was what I paid to that dealer you owed. What with trying to save your life and all," he added in a cocky tone.

"Great," Shilo muttered miserably. "I go from owing one dealer to owing another."

"Ahh, but look on the bright side. I won't beat, rape, or murder you," Graverobber said cheerfully, putting his hands on his hips.

Content with his reply, he marched over to a nearby table covered in various clutter and trash, and began to root through its contents. Turning around abruptly, a triumphant look on his face, he waved a bottle of liquor in his hand. "This," he declared, taking a shot out of the brown liquid, "is my good friend Jack Daniels."

He parked himself next to Shilo on the couch, and held the bottle out to offer her a swig. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "How can you drink that?" she scolded. "It's only three o'clock in the afternoon! And look at all these empty bottles everywhere. What are you, an alcoholic?"

A frown formed on Graverobbers pale face, and he suddenly leaned close to Shilo. His mysterious blue eyes seemed to cloud black as he whispered calmly, "And what are you, a dirty junkie?"

Caught off guard by his comment, she felt her blood pound through her veins so intensely she was afraid they might burst. She breathed hard, a scowl on her face, as she struggled to maintain control. Part of her wanted to scream in anger, part of her wanted to break down and cry, and part of her wanted to feel the rush of Zydrate coursing through her body.

"How dare you. I'm…I'm not a junkie!" she spat bitterly, although deep down she knew he was right, completely and utterly right.

"Look Shilo! Just look!" he yelled, as he grabbed her wrist tightly. "Your skin is covered in fucking track marks." The oversized t-shirt she had on did nothing to hide the numerous telltale scabs that riddled her body. "If you don't stop now, you'll rot your body from the inside out, and even GeneCo won't be able to fix you."

Wrenching her wrist from his grasp, she lowered her head and took a slow, deep breath. She was already broken, and Zydrate was the glue that temporarily put her back together night after night. Without it, she couldn't function. Her eyes fell to the slight blue glow emitted from Graverobbers open coat, and the cells of her body jittered in anticipation of their next hit, her brain flashing it's desires for feelings of euphoria and numbness.

"I'm addicted," she whispered, her voice and eyes suddenly void of all emotion.

"The first step is admitting it. Now comes the easy part, getting over the addiction and paying me back."

His sensitivity to the situation was astounding. "And just how am I supposed to pay you back?" she asked hesitantly.

Graverobber raised his hand, before turning around to silently rummage through a pile of clothing on the floor. Shilo ducked as various articles of clothing went flying as he threw them casually behind him. A wide grin spread across his face as he found what he'd been looking for. A female GenCop uniform.

"Here," he said as he tossed the black uniform into Shilo's lap. "Time to learn a little about the drug economy. That bitch, Amber Sweet, has lowered the security on graveyards making it easier than ever to get Zydrate. Now, I don't want those junkies or rival dealers to get wind of this because it would destroy my business. That's why it's necessary every now and then to have a GenCops presence there to remind the world just how risky graverobbing is."

"And what does that have to do with me paying you back," Shilo questioned suspiciously, eyeing the uniform's GeneCo logo with distaste.

"Well, now that you're in the picture, you can masquerade as a GenCop so that I don't have to. That'll give me more time to rob graves; you can help with that too. After you've helped me enough, I'll consider your debt erased. Not to mention, I can help you get over this addiction at the same time. It's a win, win situation," he added convincingly.

Shilo shook dust from the clothing and glanced back and forth between Graverobber and the uniform, indecision obvious on her face. "How long will I need to help you for? And how did you even get your hands on this…." she began.

"Enough questions," he commanded, a large grin forming on his face as he fondly recalled the night he acquired a couple of GenCop uniforms. One starry night, on a leisurely stroll through the graveyard, he'd happened upon a couple in the throes of passion. _Things you see in a graveyard._ Parking himself in the shadows, he'd enjoyed the free show for a good five minutes before discovering the GenCop uniforms strewn on the ground. What luck. He often wondered what cock and bull story those cops told their chief after "losing" their clothing.

Snapping out of his daydream, he nodded his head towards the uniform clenched tightly in Shilo's hands. "Well, aren't you going to try it on? Off with those clothes," he commanded, the big grin still stuck to his face.

Shilo considered Graverobbers request for a moment before glancing around the room for a private place to change. No such place. It wasn't that she was particularly shy, she just felt unusually vulnerable and open, and his stupid grin was making her uncomfortable. In fact, his whole presence was making her uncomfortable. Earlier, when he'd leaned in and gently wiped that tear from her cheek, she'd been startled by his closeness. The gesture was small and probably insignificant, but it fed a sensation deep inside that craved for more. Perhaps that was why she found his light touch so endearing. Since the incident at the opera, she'd been practically starved of that warm human touch that made up happy families, love stories, and fairy tales. All of her human contact this year had left bruises, cuts, or track marks.

Shilo glanced up at Graverobber who was watching her expectantly. From the first time she'd met him, she felt strangely drawn to the enigmatic man who seemed to pride himself with the fact that he couldn't be tied down to society. So why was he burdening himself with her? _Oh yeah, five hundred and fifty dollars._

"Can you turn around while I put this on, please," she asked quietly.

Graverobber raised a heavy eyebrow, but reluctantly turned around. As she stripped out of his large t-shirt she had borrowed, she examined the finger mark bruises on her wrists, and tenderly touched the ones on her neck and lower back. _Damn you, Nivek. _The bastard had left her black and blue, but at least she was alive. Glancing upward, she noticed that Graverobber was looking slyly over his shoulder, perhaps also examining….her bruises? She highly doubted that. "Hey," she yelled indignantly, waving her arms wildly at him to turn around. He did so with a large and exaggerated sigh, and Shilo was sure she caught him rolling his eyes as he turned around. Not wanting any more peep shows, she quickly slid into the slender black pants and tight black jacket that had GeneCo patches stitched onto the sleeves. They actually fit nicely and would have looked decent if they didn't have a logo that she associated with greed and murder.

"Okay, I'm done," Shilo said irritably. "How does it look?"

Graverobber plopped a black helmet on her head before assessing her, looking her up and down in a critical manner. "Something's missing…" He darted over to the cluttered table and cleared some trash onto the floor, obviously searching for something. "Ah. Here it is. Don't worry it's not loaded" he said as he suddenly appeared with a large, black automatic gun with a leather strap. He slung the strap over her neck. The huge gun looked strangely out of place on the petite figure before him. "Close enough. Tonight we will find out just how convincing you are!"

"Tonight?" Shilo wasn't sure she was ready to parade around as a GenCop in the middle of the night.


End file.
